You throw the ball. You catch the ball. You hit the ball…Of course, baseball fans know that this line from Bull Durham is far from true, part of the humor of the movie and a huge part of the fun of the game. This blog is a space to talk about baseball, being a baseball fan, all of those things that make the game fun and the Angels, because they make baseball fun for me.

Happy New Year! – Angels 2011 Resolutions

“By mid-day when even the best fed hobbits were out and about again…” This quote always pops into my mind the morning…er…early afternoon after a late night party. Of course, I feel that Tolkien intended best fed to also imply most thoroughly imbibed, latest celebrating and anything else that indicates general decadence and celebratory debauchery.

Happy New Year!!

I hope everyone had a great time last night

and I wish you all the best in 2011!

New Year’s Day is a day for proclaiming resolutions for the year to come. I’m sure the Angels have their resolutions just like you and I. Obviously, I’m not privy to what those resolutions might be, but having watched them all through the 2010 season, I can make some pretty good guesses:

Stop picking one favorite pitcher or two in the starting rotation each year. Run support for all Angels pitchers in 2011!

Everybody bats well above the Mendoza line in 2011. Just to be perfectly clear, .212 is not well above by any standard measurement, metric, imperial or otherwise.

Unless you happen to be coming from behind, let’s make the 8th inning a little less exciting in 2011 shall we? There is nothing wrong with maintaining a lead and the antacid industry doesn’t need any extra boosts in this economy.

All hustle, all the time – run for it, stretch for it, dive for it, bust your butt. Every game. Every inning. Every play. No exceptions. Angels who need to make this resolution know who they are.

No runners left behind in 2011! Raise that RISP and more RBIs!

Stealing bases is part of what Angels baseball is all about but know yourself and the opposing team. If you can’t steal 3rd (or 2nd for that matter) don’t.

More decisive victories! Contrary to popular Bull Durham quote, shutouts are not fascist and while I love a bare knuckled baseball brawl for the victory as much as anyone, games where your lead is never in question aren’t boring, I assure you.

Bring back the old swagger and sense of fun. Have a great time and kick some serious butt this year!

And last but not least, a suggested Angels fan resolution: Unless regular season play gives us any reason to react otherwise, let’s revisit that sense of “this year could be the year” optimism young fans feel at the beginning of every baseball season and let the 2011 season start with a clean slate.

Jane – Yeah, the Pollyanna resolution is an easy one to make in January but not always an easy one to keep by June and July.
Morrismcdoo – Sad but true. I do have hopes though that everyone else can at least play to their season average or, hey, even better. Then that plus the return of Kendry would help with most of the other resolutions. Some of the 2010 slumps just had to be flukes.
– Kristenhttp://blithescribe.mlblogs.com/

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